Pentrebach

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Pentrebach.jpg
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Pentrebach
Location within Merthyr Tydfil
Community
Principal area
Preserved county
Country Wales
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Merthyr Tydfil
Postcode district CF48
Dialling code 01443
Police South Wales
Fire South Wales
Ambulance Welsh
UK Parliament
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament
List of places
UK
Wales
Merthyr Tydfil
51°43′32″N3°21′24″W / 51.725556°N 3.356667°W / 51.725556; -3.356667

Pentrebach (Welsh pronunciation: [ˌpɛntrɛˈbɑːχ] , sometimes written Pentre-Bach, literally: small village) is a village in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales and is formed from the original settlements of Lower Pentrebach, Tai-bach and Duffryn. [1]

It lies on the east side of the River Taff opposite Abercanaid, south of Merthyr and north of Troedyrhiw. To the east of the village lies the Mynydd Cilfach-yr-Encil which rises up to 445 metres (1,460 ft).

Pentrebach is part of the Plymouth electoral ward which covers Pentrebach, Abercanaid and Troedyrhiw. The village was founded at the time that John Guest built the Plymouth Ironworks in 1763. The name Guest became part of the Guest, Keen and Nettelfold company (GKN). In 1818 Anthony Hill took over ownership of the business. His House was later used as an old people's home, and today has been converted into a Brewers Fayre Restaurant with a Premier Inn attached.

Merthyr Tramroad tunnel Trevethick Tunnel.JPG
Merthyr Tramroad tunnel

The original Merthyr Tramroad, built in 1802, ran alongside the site of the modern day village, on its way from penydarren to Abercynon, though very little of the village had been built at that time. A tunnel still exists, which can be visited on the Merthyr Road. Locomotives had to tip their chimneys while going through this tunnel due to the tunnel clearance.

Pentrebach has its own railway station. This opened in 1886 on the standard gauge Taff Vale Railway which runs from Cardiff to Merthyr Tydfil alongside the River Taff. The original purpose of the railway was to carry iron ore to Cardiff Docks. [2]

In 1862, on the south side of the village, The South Duffryn Colliery was opened with two shafts which were 250 metres (820 ft) deep. At the height of the production there were some 1300 men employed there. An opencast mine was also located on the mountainside above the village.

The Plymouth Ironworks closed in 1882 and the South Duffryn Colliery ceased production in 1940. [3]

Hoover washing machine factory Hoover Pentrebach.jpg
Hoover washing machine factory

After the war, new industries were attracted to the village. In 1945, the Kayser Bondor Factory opened making underwear, followed in 1948 by the establishment of the Hoover factory manufacturing washing machines. The factory later produced the Sinclair C5 battery-powered three-wheeler car. On Friday, 6 March 2009, Hoover confirmed that it was to cease production of washing machines and other laundry products at the factory. [4] Linde set up a factory in the village on a site where the South Duffryn Colliery was located. This plant manufactured Forklift and at one time employed circa 500 people. The plant closed in 2013. [5] but the site has since been taken over by U.S. defence contractor General Dynamics to produce armoured vehicles for the British Army.

Pentrebach has two clubs: The Hills Plymouth Cricket Club, and the Pentrebach working men's club. Pentrebach also has a chapel, Jerusalem Chapel, Greenfield School and an Integrated Children's Centre.

The mountain above Pentrebach has become popular with hang glider pilots in recent years.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taff Vale Railway</span> Railway company and line in South Wales

The Taff Vale Railway (TVR) was a standard gauge railway in South Wales, built by the Taff Vale Railway Company to serve the iron and coal industries around Merthyr Tydfil and to connect them with docks in Cardiff. It was opened in stages in 1840 and 1841.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merthyr Tydfil</span> Town in Wales

Merthyr Tydfil is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about 23 miles (37 km) north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydfil, daughter of King Brychan of Brycheiniog, who according to legend was slain at Merthyr by pagans about 480 CE. Merthyr generally means "martyr" in modern Welsh, but here closer to the Latin martyrium: a place of worship built over a martyr's relics. Similar place names in south Wales are Merthyr Cynog, Merthyr Dyfan and Merthyr Mawr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glamorganshire Canal</span> Former canal in Wales

The Glamorganshire Canal in South Wales, UK, was begun in 1790. It ran along the valley of the River Taff from Merthyr Tydfil to the sea at Cardiff. The final section of canal was closed in 1951.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taff Trail</span> Walking and cycling track in South Wales

The Taff Trail is a walking and cycle path that runs for 55 miles (89 km) between Cardiff Bay and Brecon in Wales. It is so named because it follows the course of the River Taff. Along much of its length, it follows the National Cycle Network Route 8 that continues to Holyhead, and is substantially off-road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Taff</span> River in Wales which flows into Cardiff Bay

The River Taff is a river in Wales. It rises as two rivers in the Brecon Beacons; the Taf Fechan and the Taf Fawr before becoming one just north of Merthyr Tydfil. Its confluence with the River Severn estuary is in Cardiff.

The Rhymney Railway (RR) was a railway company in South Wales, founded to transport minerals and materials to and from collieries and ironworks in the Rhymney Valley of South Wales, and to docks in Cardiff. It opened a main line in 1858, and a limited passenger service was operated in addition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abercynon</span> Village and community in Wales

Abercynon is a village and community in the Cynon Valley within the unitary authority of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. The community comprises the village and the districts of Carnetown and Grovers Field to the south, Navigation Park to the east, and Glancynon to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aberaman</span> Human settlement in Wales

Aberaman is a village near Aberdare in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, south Wales. It was heavily dependent on the coal industry and the population, as a result, grew rapidly in the late nineteenth century. Most of the industry has now disappeared and a substantial proportion of the working population travel to work in Cardiff and the M4 corridor. Many residents also work in the nearby towns of Aberdare and Pontypridd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abercanaid</span> Village in South Wales

Abercanaid is a small village in the county borough of Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, Wales, United Kingdom with a population of about 5,060. It is situated 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south of Merthyr town centre and is west of Pentrebach, across the River Taff and north of Troedyrhiw. The Taff Trail runs through the village, adjacent to the path of the disused Glamorganshire Canal, which was an important in transporting iron and coal during the industrial boom in which the South Wales Valleys prospered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pentre-bach railway station</span> Railway station in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales

Pentre-bach railway station is a railway station serving the villages of Pentrebach and Abercanaid in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. It is located on the Merthyr branch of the Merthyr Line. Passenger services are provided by Transport for Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merthyr Tydfil railway station</span> Railway station in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales

Merthyr Tydfil railway station is a railway station serving the town of Merthyr Tydfil in Wales. It is the terminus of the Merthyr branch of the Merthyr Line. Passenger services are provided by Transport for Wales. The station has one platform, and is situated near to the Tesco Superstore in the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merthyr Vale</span> Human settlement in Wales

Merthyr Vale is a linear village and community in the Welsh county borough of Merthyr Tydfil. Lying on the A4054 road it is on the east bank of the River Taff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treharris</span> Human settlement in Wales

Treharris is a small town and community in the Taff Bargoed Valley in the south of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, South Wales. It is located about 0.6 miles (1.0 km) west of Trelewis, from which it is separated by the Taff Bargoed river, and 0.9 miles (1.4 km) from Nelson in Caerphilly county borough and has a population of 6,356 from the 2011 Census. As a community, Treharris includes the villages of Quakers Yard and Edwardsville. Due to steepness and narrowness of both the Taff and Taff Bargoed valleys at Treharris several notable bridges and viaducts have been built in the area.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cilfynydd</span> Human settlement in Wales

Cilfynydd is a village in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, a mile from the South Wales Valleys town of Pontypridd, and 13 miles north of the capital city, Cardiff. Cilfynydd is also an electoral ward for the county council and Pontypridd Town Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merthyr Tramroad</span> Early Welsh railway line

The Merthyr Tramroad was a 9.75-mile-long (15.69 km) line that opened in 1802, connecting the private lines belonging to the Dowlais and Penydarren Ironworks with the Glamorganshire Canal at Abercynon, also serving the Plymouth Ironworks along the way. Famous as the line on which Richard Trevithick's experimental locomotive hauled the first train to carry a load. It was largely superseded when the Taff Vale Railway opened in 1841 and sections gradually went out of use over the two decades from about 1851.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merthyr Tydfil County Borough</span> County borough in Wales

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. In mid 2018, it had an estimated population of 60,183 making it the smallest local authority in Wales by both population and land area. It is located in the historic county of Glamorgan and takes its name from the town with the same name. The county borough consists of the northern part of the Taff Valley and the smaller neighbouring Taff Bargoed Valley. It borders the counties of Rhondda Cynon Taf to the west, Caerphilly County Borough to the east, and Powys to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hoover Factory, Pentrebach</span>

The Hoover Factory, situated in Pentrebach, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, opened on 19 October 1948 in order to manufacture Hoover washing machines. The initial workforce consisted of only 350 people but throughout the years, the growth of the company saw this figure rise to 5,000 in the 1960s and 70s.

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References

  1. "Historic Landscape Characterisation Merthyr Tydfil - 020 Pentrebach" . Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  2. Long, Rhianwen (15 April 2014). Merthyr Tydfil Through Time. ISBN   9781445618333 . Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  3. "South Duffryn Colliery" . Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  4. Long, Rhianwen (15 April 2014). Merthyr Tydfil Through Time. ISBN   9781445618333 . Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  5. "Linde Closure BBC News online 31 January 2013" . Retrieved 14 June 2017.